Protect Your Health Through Better Hand Hygiene
Viruses, bacteria, and food-borne diseases can all be transmitted through touch — which means keeping your hands clean is vital. However, many patients still rush to clean their hands or worse, don’t clean their hands at all.
Washing your hands thoroughly and often could make the difference between your health and a trip to the ER. Here’s what you need to know from our health experts at Excel ER:
Statistics on Handwashing
Before you learn how to wash your hands the right way, learn these important statistics on how crucial handwashing is to your health:
- Washing hands with soap and water could reduce diarrheal disease-associated deaths by up to 50%.
- Handwashing can reduce the risk of respiratory infections by 16%.
- Handwashing by every person could prevent over a million deaths each year.
- Handwashing reduces the number of people who get sick with diarrhea by 23-40%.
Now, follow these recommended steps:
Wet Your Hands
Take off all jewelry such as rings and bracelets before you begin to wash your hands with warm water to remove all dirt and bacteria, as these cling to our skin and keep germs trapped. Then, use hot water to start washing your hands.
Use Soap
Did you know that nearly 33% of people don’t use soap when washing their hands? Hot water alone won’t rid your hands of bacteria. Add about a quarter-sized amount of soap to your palms — adding the soap under running hot water will make it run off your hands!
Rub Your Palms & Hands Together
Create a rich lather between your hands and move your fingers along on your palms. Be sure to switch hands and repeat. This will add water to the soap to create a foam to use on your hands.
Then, start with your right hand and massage the back of your left hand. When you’re done, switch sides and repeat. It’s important to clean all sides of your hands.
Interlace Fingers & Thumbs
Rub your palms together, and clean the underside of your fingers. Rub your fingers along your knuckles, and be sure to get into all crevices. Next, close your right hand over your left thumb and wash. Repeat this step on the opposite side as well.
Rinse Your Hands Off & Dry Them
Rinse the soap away until your hands are washed clear of suds. Turn the faucet off with a towel — not your newly washed hands!
Emergency Medical Care in Longview, Nacogdoches, and Odessa
Remember, it’s important to follow these steps before and after preparing or eating food, after you use the restroom, when out in public, and when your hands are visibly dirty.
If you believe you are sick and are experiencing a medical emergency, don’t hesitate to seek the emergency care you need. Contact us online, call us at (903) 500-7321, or stop in for quick and effective relief or visit one of our locations in Longview, Nacogdoches, and Odessa today.
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